Here, There, Everywhere Be Dragons
by nodeerskulls
Summary: Far away from Rorikstead lies a world of adventure and thrills. The road from farmer to Dovahkiin is long and winding, but Amina's determined to walk it. Chasing dragons, killing dragons, fleeing from dragons…everywhere, including in herself, be dragons.
1. On a farm, somewhere far away

_Author's Note:_

_Reviews, critiques and everything else are not only encouraged, but also rewarded with a sweet roll and a naked NPC of your choice! Skyrim doesn't belong to me, but if anyone finds a portal to Tamriel, let me know._

_This fanfiction is inspired by my third playthrough of Skyrim, second with the Live Another Life Mod (which I thoroughly recommend). This will follow some main arcs, but won't cover everything ever in the history of Skyrim's Dragonborn shenanigans. You will have to forgive me (or enjoy i) if it ends up longer than that. _

_Eventual Vilkas / Dragonborn...I think._

_Updates every week!_

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"Mother, tomorrow I will be leaving town with Erik."

Her mother and father exchanged a worried glance. You could see Al-Hazem's eye twitch, his mouth in a sneer. He may have loved Erik as his son, but in that moment it was obvious who would be getting a dagger in the gut later that day.

"Amina, he's your cousin! It's forbidden!". She could have ducked the spittle that flew from his mouth, but she braced it. If she was afraid of some mouth water-projectiles, how was she supposed to gather up the courage for the road ahead?

She had expected her parents to protest, bringing up the dangers of the road, her "maidenhood", and any other such reasons. She had not expected them to think that she was having a steamy hot affair with her cousin. She felt a little nauseous at the thought.

"It's not like that, Ysmir almighty! I was talking about adventuring, not getting hitched!"

The whole hut was filled with a sort of buzzing anxiety. Who was it? Amina's? Her parents'? Erik's, from three houses down, who felt the impending doom at the hand of Amina's father? We will never know.

Al-Hazem and Hilde relaxed visibly. Amina could almost swear that even the fingers wrapped around his dagger were visibly looser. One could never know, with her father, though. From the desert, and hot-tempered as it, that one. Or so her mother said.

"That is excluded as well. You are not going out, doing Sakatal-knows what, getting eaten by wolves and raped by bandits."

"I agree with your father. Just because Erik is foolish does not mean you have to be, as well."

Amina's hands clutched the table, tears welling in her eyes.

"You know this is what I've always wanted! I've been saving up for an armor for the past two years! I've been telling you I want to explore the world!"

"Pity you're not going to use it. You are not going anywhere, and that's final. Tomorrow I am going to have a nice talk with Erik. By Sakatal, you…an adventurer! You'd get killed by a mudcrab on your way to Whiterun!"

"You'll see, you'll all see. I was born for more than…" she made a sweeping motion with her hand "…this! Tending cows and growing wheat and seeing the days go by, waiting to get married to some boorish peasant!"

"You're not going anywhere, and that's final." Her father said, voice dangerously low.

Amina trembled. "I'd like to see you stop me."

"I'd like to see you try once I lock your things in a chest and not give you any supplies for the road."

"Mother!" She yelled, "Talk to him! You know this is what I am meant to do! Not tending crops! Not chasing chickens! You were like that too, once!"

Her mother shook her head, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Turning to her husband, she said: "She keeps the armor under her bedroll."

"Traitor! I hate you!"

Amina didn't see her mother's slap coming. Neither did her father.

No more words were said that night. Al-Hazem stormed the house, and put Amina's armor under lock and key. In the background, Amina's sobs, like the song of a bard who didn't know anything about his job.

She'd show them. Oh, she'd show them alright. If they thought that was the last of this argument, oh boy, were they wrong.

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Under the blanket of night, Amina snuck out of the common room and down into the basement. She knew she had no time to spare. Her father, a light sleeper, and her mother, awakening all the time at odd hours, posed quite a challenge. The favors were against her, but by Ysmir, she'd make this night hers.

She almost had half a mind to pray for Nocturnal's favour, but Daedra worshipping in general left her with a strange taste in her mouth.

She had her suspicions about Rorikstead and Daedra, truth be told. She knew the town's history: it was a nice "subtle" progression from the worst dirt to farm in to the best dirt someone could get their hands on. To have that happen in Skyrim was nothing short of sorcery. Then there was the issue of objects very out of place.

Too many soul gems for dirt digging, that's for sure. And books, books about everything magic and mystical, all over the place; books of daedra and aedra, of lost legends and mighty wizards. Why, she had half a mind to become a wizard herself, to spite both of her parents.

Enough of wizardry. She shook her head, gathering her thoughts. Her pigtails whipped her in the eyes and she almost cried out. Having hair in your eyes was definitely not pleasant. Back to lockpicking, and adventuring, yes…

The lockpick in her hand felt cold. She thought that if she could chew it, it would taste like adventure and kin-treason. Delightful, delicious and sinful. Every lock in town knew her touch, every chest felt the feathered caress of her fingers. She never stole anything, but she'd opened them and closed them time and time again, just for the thrill.

"I knew my pseudo-thieving would help me someday." Beyond staving off boredom and sending the locals into a fret, there's not much lockpicking can do aside from being used for thieving skills, in the end…now is it?

With expert movements, she listened for the lock's heartbeat.

There is a certain art in lockpicking, and it's best done in silence, where you can hear the clicks and clacks of the mechanism. Locks have an inner orchestra, and your lockpick must be finely attuned to it, or else it breaks. Moreover, dear reader, lockpicks are truly hard to come by in an honest town like Rorikstead.

The chest finally opened with a satisfying click. She smiled as she stuffed her armour in her knapsack. She rummaged through it to see if she had got everything: her journal, her favourite book (The Dragonborn's Book), some lockpicks, empty bottles and flasks for potions that once housed mead and wine.

She made her way to the door, silently saying goodbye to the house and inhabitants. She looked at her sleeping parents. They'd know where she'd gone, but best leave a note…

_"__Am off adventuring. I'll see__you soon, come spring. I'll return with some septims and pretty things I find in my travels. Hope your sour mood will wear off till then! I love you! I'll be fine._

_- Amina"_

She grabbed the few notes her parents had written, menial things like counting the crops and who bought what. They had their handwriting, and so, she stuffed them in her knapsack's pockets as a reminder. The amulet from her mother hung loosely around her thin neck.

She watched her sleeping parents' faces. Feeling swelled up in her chest, but she didn't know if it was that of a goodbye childhood, or hello world. She'd have to find out.

The night air felt cool on her skin, the smell of grass, pungent, riding the breeze. Messer and Secunda were both full, covering the sky whole. She couldn't think of a better night to start her new life.

Once at Frostfruit Inn, she let out a huge sigh.

Mralki was still up, of course, tending the bar as usual. Erik was in one corner, already geared up, dozing off.

"Take a seat, girl. What are you doing up so late?"

She felt her ears redden. "My parents finally gave me permission to travel the world, like Erik does."

Mralki looked up from the tankard he was cleaning. She suddenly felt completely naked and exposed. Her face was on fire.

"Did they now?" He sighed, rubbing his forehead, his eyes somewhere far away for a brief moment. "Well then, you'd better make haste before they wake up."

"How did you..?" Amina's jaw dropped just a little. Who was this stranger in Mralki's skin? Was he possessed by some unknown daedra who had stripped him from his over-protectiveness of folk and kin?

"I've learned, since my son has become an adventurer… that you cannot keep children from doing what they want. So go, seek your fortune. Keep Erik near, he'll keep you safe."

Amira smiled, and hugged him over the bar. Mralki's face softened into a small smile, and patted the girl on the head.

"Just like your mother, back in the days. Here, take these provisions, and go wake up Erik."

"Uncle, can I use you to send notes back and forth with my parents? If they get over me leaving, that is…"

"Of course. Why not send a courier directly, though?"

"I fear my father might maul him in trying to make him tell him where I am. If there's anything left after mother is done weeping in his shirt and demanding answer, that is."

"Ah, true, true. Good thing you didn't inherit any of your parents' love for hysterics. Good folk, short of temper though. Incredible how your mother could swing an axe and weep at the same time. Never seen stronger a woman cry so openly…at everything..."

Amina laughed, and felt a slight pang in her chest. Oh, she'd miss them. She'd miss them a lot, alright. She had a life to live, though! A country to see, perhaps a whole continent, even more! There was more to life than cattle and turnips, and she'd had quite the fair share of those in the past 17 years.

Erik stretched groggily from his seat, yawning and running a hand through his hair. His red hair was mused and sticking in odd angles on one side. It was longer than last time she'd seen him, but it suited him. Made him look older, more rugged, fitting for an adventurer.

Wandering the country and slashing away at it had done her cousin well. He stood up straighter, spoke louder, lived fiercer. His thighs were now as wide as her waist, his back a true wall. He had grown up to be the kind of Nord people talked about in legends, tall as a tree and sturdy as one.

She had seen him come and go out of the town on different occasions, these past few months. As winter drew near, Erik came back more and more often. Every time he went, his father's heart broke and swelled with pride at the same time. Erik came back every time with knowledge, and stories from the road. He'd always been a curious child, but now it seemed he wanted to swallow the wonders of the world whole.

He'd bring her books and and spell tomes, as well as stories from his travels. And if they were a little bloodied or dusty, she didn't mind. Erik loved books as much as she did, and she guessed that their curiosity was the cause of their restlessness. While literacy is common in Skyrim's farming folk, wonder for the world isn't.

Under the guise of the night, she'd secretely learned how to light a candle with only her fingers, make light out of thin air, heal cuts and bruises. If it hadn't been Erik and his adventuring ways, his love for books and him knowing her secret of loving magic, she would've never even realized she had the ability.

She owed to Erik more than he could imagine.

Erik let out a long yawn, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but…look, they didn't let me go. They thought we were going to get married, can you believe that? How disgusting, we're cousins!"

Erik shrugged. "Not that far-fetched, wouldn't be the first. But don't worry, cousin, you're not my type anyway."

Amina snorted. "Ew. Who would marry their cousin? By law, cousins are annoying to each other."

"We're not that bad."

"Yeah, but we're special. We're made of different stuff!"

Ërik laughed "Of course, made from the bowels of Nirn to save the day!"

Amina's laughter died pretty quickly, as she looked over at the stolen pack in her arms.

"Will they forgive me…eventually?"

"Of course they will. Father did, and you know how he was. Now get dressed and let's go, a chaperon mission was just what I needed to get more field experience!"

So she did.

Their laughter could be heard all across the street as they ran out of Rorikstead. Parents be damned, adventure was waiting!

Little did Amina know that adventuring wasn't really as glamorous as it seemed. It was, though, as exciting as it said on the tin.

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_Author's note:_

_Thanks for reading!_

_First chapter practically wrote itself. Of course, in the original playthrough with the Live Another Life mod I just woke up in a room with Erik following me. That wouldn't have made good story material, now would it._

_A huge shout-out to the Live Another Life mod by Arthmoor, without whom this fanfiction would not exist. You can find it on the Skyrim Nexus at __skyrim/mods/9557/_


	2. The first kill is always the brightest

His named had been Wryn. She knew this because the second man she killed yelled his name. Amina's first kill was not glamorous, or exciting. It was not done for honour or vengeance. She wasn't looking for treasure, or saving anyone. Her first kill had been clumsy, brutal, and left her in tears.

Bandits had attacked her and Erik, a short way away from Rorikstead. She thought they were just men wandering the road at first, but Erik knew better. Wandering Skyrim for a thrill left you with a keen eye for trouble, and a keener nose for bandits.

They came from all directions, like a storm of crows. Their movements were chaotic, hap-hazard, incredibly brash and incredibly deadly. She didn't know how she managed to get out alive, but somehow she did.

She took out her scimitar from a man's stomach, and puked over the road. Erik rubbed comforting circles on her back as she sobbed, hands digging into the dirt, face half-mauled with cuts she didn't even know how she got. The taste of blood hung in the air and from the roof of her mouth.

"People often talk about the stench of death. They seldom talked about how it tastes" She supposed Erik meant it as some sort of comfort, but it came up short of its intended destination. She continued crying while spitting the blood that kept pooling in her mouth. She had bit her tongue during the fight, scared beyond comprehension at these wild men with even wilder eyes.

It had been, Erik said, an easy fight. They went down easily. To Amina, that seemed like a lie. All she knows is that in the blur of motion and blood, the fight seemed to take forever. She was incredibly frightened, trembling with one hand gripping her sword and the other her shield.

There had been six men. Amina had killed two, while Erik took care of the rest, like a Nord whirlwind of expertise. Truthfully, his movements were a bit clumsy, but compared to Amina's own, she thought of him impossibly skilled.

Finally, she settled down. Her tears stopped, and she and Erik walked a while and then settled in the grass. They had been on the road for less than a day, and Amina was starting to reconsider her decision.

She enjoyed the fight, very much so. She enjoyed fighting when it was done friendly, when she knew that even if she found herself pinned and weapon-less, she'd be alright. The spars with Erik made her feel alive.

This kind of fighting, fighting done for her life? It made her feel somewhere between dead and alive, tiptoeing between Nirn and Oblivion, one foot in each. She was hyperaware of her surroundings, and she knew that one bad move would send her beyond mortal grasp. It was exciting, but it was incredibly frightening.

She fell in love with the sensation, but she knew she'd never want to do it again. She would have, true, but she didn't know if she'd ever come to enjoy it without feeling like she was losing herself. How was she supposed to become an adventurer if she didn't enjoy fighting?

"Is it always like this, cousin? Felling like you're going to die any moment? Scared shitless and shocked beyond your own self?" she gingerly touched her face. There were gashes all over her right cheek, raw and bleeding. She started healing them slowly, but she knew they'd scar.

Erik sighed, his face half obscured by the tall grass they were laying in. Messer and Secunda were going down to rest, leaving space for the sun to come up. His answer came with the first burst of light puncturing the night.

"The first few times are always like that. My first kill was a mage who attacked me and my employer when we got too close to the Ritual stone. I puked afterwards on the guy's own bowels. The second and third time were better. By the fourth, you get used to it. You start internalizing the fact that you are doing this for the greater good."

"What greater good?"

"Look, choose your jobs, or your adventures, well and you will be doing good in the world with every death. Those bandits we just killed? They rape and pillage every day. The world is better off without them. As long as you make the right choice, you killing will bring a relief into the world."

"So, you're saying that I have a duty to kill to better the world, or something?"

"Well, if you're going to fight and kill, might as well do it for a good reason, no?"

She shrugged. She sighed as she finished healing the last of her scrapes and cuts. She always loved the feeling of healing herself with magic. It was like warm water was poured over her skin, a soothing heat that always left her light headed when she was done.

She remembered the story of a crazy mage who kept cutting himself just to get the high of restoration and magicka depletion. He started with little cuts at first, but as he got better at restoration and his magicka pool got bigger, he started cutting longer, deeper. First with knives, then with blades, in the intimacy of his own hut. He bled profusely and profoundly just to seek that one high. In the end, it was his own undoing, as his magicka reservoir dried up before he could end up healing himself. She shuddered at the thought.

"We should get going. Still, you never told me where you wanted to go."

Amina shrugged. "I…I never thought about it."

"What?"

"I…just wanted to get out. I never thought about where. I mean, I knew I wanted you to go on the road to somewhere with me, but I never got the occasion to think of the destination."

Erik rubbed his forehead. "Seriously?"

"Mhm. I know I just want…to get better at this. Fighting I mean. It was…incredibly scary. But thrilling! I felt so alive. And as you said, I might do good in the world. I don't want to be a per hire like you, because it's not my thing. I'd not feel comfortable with strangers."

"You don't even know what you want."

"Not really. I just wanted something thrilling."

Erik sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was matted a bit with blood.

"Do you want me to heal those scratches and cuts for you?"

"No, thanks. You know I don't like magic all that much. Do it on yourself all you want, I'd rather not have it."

"Suit yourself, but if they get infected it's your fault."

A beat of silence. Amina breathed in the cool night air. It was pleasant, camping out.

"So, what now?" Amina asked.

" You could join up with The Companions, in Whiterun."

"I've heard of them. Honour, companionship, brotherhood. Or something like that."

"They are good men and women, from what I've heard. They only take up good causes. They kill bandits, rescue nobles' kin or common folk, liberate villages and intimidate those who step out of line. Things like that. Good reasons, mostly. I heard the pay is good, too."

"So why didn't you join up?"

"I don't like routine. I didn't become an adventurer for hire to follow rules. But I think it would suit you."

"Why?"

He laughed. "Look at you! You need all the training you can get. You want adventure? Go to The Companions. It's the safest type of adventuring there is, and the most thrilling, if you can stand the sturdiness and authority of a guild. I would, if I'd have a mind for listening to other people."

"Ok, Whiterun's Companions it is then."

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"We're lost."

"We're not lost, we're on the right track...just a little sideways, probably."

Amina looked at the marshes beyond, spanning across the land and into the horizon. There was a certain moistness clinging to their skin, cold nipping at their fingers and noses. A sparse fog covered the land, making the vegetation a blur. She half expected some sort of swamp creature to jump at them, to add insult to injury.

They had been on the road for two days. Supposedly, they should have been in Whiterun by now. Supposedly, because as far as Erik told her, Whiterun sat snugly between hills and plains, not in the murky waters of a never-ending marshland.

"We should've bought a map." She said, huffing.

"I know my way through this hold, goddamnit. I've done this road a thousand times."

"We are lost, Erik."

"We are not lost."

Their argument was interrupted by wandering lights in front of them, followed by a creaking caravan with wheels as large as giant mudcrabs. In front were two Khajit warriors, tall and with swishing tails, with fluffy ears and impressive whiskers. Amina didn't know whether to find them predatorily beautiful or intimidating.

"We should ask them." She suggested, looking in the direction of the Khajit.

"Approaching merchants in the middle of the night? Do you want to get robbed?"

"Da' told me that Khajit merchants are rarely dangerous."

"Your Da also told you that mudcrabs can kill a man. Anyone on the road is dangerous, beast or man."

Amina silently fumed at his lack of trust in people's good faiths. "I still think we should ask. We're lost."

"We're not lost."

They heard a laughter to their right. The caravan was slowly passing them by, and the Khajit were having a jolly good time listening to their argument.

"This one believes everything is dangerous on the road, including little girls who have too much faith in the good of man, mer, and beast." Said one of them, his whiskers trembling in laughter. "However, this one happens to like helping lost adventurers. How can Khajit be of service?"

Amina took the opportunity and approached him. "We need to get to Whiterun, but I think we're a long way from there…or at least so does this damned humidity and marshlands suggest."

"Whiterun? You're in Hjaalmarch."

Erik sputtered. "Gods damnit, we took the wrong road! North instead of east!"

"I told you we were lost, but noooo…."

Erik sighed. "Ah, well. How close to Morthal are we?"

"Close. Two hours of walking upwind, on this very same road." The Khajit replied, slowly stroking his whiskers. "Nightfall could however befall you before getting there, so make haste."

Erik took out 5 septims from his purse, took the Khajit's furry hand, and pushed the cold coins into his palm. Closing his hand, he firmly shook it and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Khajit friend."

"To you as well, traveler. Your generosity is most appreciated."

As the caravan continued its journey, Erik whispered to Amina:

"Rule one of the road: generosity makes you friends. Be kind to man, mer and beast alike and you'll find lots of allies. Related to rule two: nothing comes for free, so settle your debts early on."

"Really? How did you learn that one?"

"Got jumped by some bandits on my way to Markarth one day. I was returning from a job. I would've been dead meat if some Argonians hadn't stepped in for me. They were the same Argonians I had helped weeks past in Solitude, and they remembered my kindness."

Amina nodded. She thought how different the road was from Rorikstead. In town, kindness was given freely. Everyone knew each other, and thus, being kind cost nothing and helped the town as a whole. On the road, she realised, nobody owed you nothing, and kindness was not a right to receive, but a privilege.

However, Amina felt a bit sick at the thought of gentleness and kindness viewed as currency. Some viler than her would probably see an open door full of Machiavellic opportunities. Amina felt like it was a truth she would have rather have faced later than sooner. To know kindness is currency is to be suddenly aware of the weight of generosity and debt, and that's not easy to balance.

As if sensing her inner struggle, Erik put a hand on her shoulder, and snuggled her close to him. "Don't be so tense, cousin. You can return home any time you want, if you dislike adventuring. The road may be hard, but it welcomes all, no matter if they come or go."

"Aye, but even if I dislike it I'll probably not return home just to not admit to my parents that they were right."

Erik laughed.

They walked.

In the middle of the road, surrounded by the mist lingering low, was a form hunched over itself. Erik furrowed his brows, and shushed Amina, while taking out his weapon slowly. Amina did the same, but with her bow. One thing she had learned from the bandit attack is that mixed ranged attacks worked best.

The creature gave a yelp, and ran towards them. Out of the fog sprang out a dog, as large as half of Amina while sitting. All wag-tailed and wide-eyed, it seemed rejoiced at company, and couldn't contain its excitement, moving between Erik and Amina at lighting speed, jumping on them, barking like mad.

Amina petted his head and stroked his ears. "Hi, pup! Whose might you be, hmm?"

"Seems like a stray, but it's too friendly to people…"

The dog started to bite at Amina's armour and try and drag her from the road. Since she was quite small and light, it almost succeeded.

"Do you want us to follow you, boy?" she asked. The dog gave an enthusiastic yelp.

They made their way through the grassland and marsh. What an odd party they must've made, with momma dog ahead with its human hatchlings following, like a goose waddling through grass with its kin.

Their destination made Amina sniffle and brush a few tears. The dog's name was Meeko, as said by a note left from the previous owner.

In the moment, Amina knew that she could never part from Meeko. He needed someone to love him, and thankfully, she had plenty of love to give.

"Think we're going to make a warhound out of him yet?" Erik asked, laughing as Amina knelt besides the dog and asked him gently to come with her…_as if the dog could understand_, he thought.

And so, their party of two became three. In earnest, Erik was happy they found the dog. Amina was eager, but a tad craven when it came to things bigger and better than her. That category incidentally comprised anything and everything on the road. He figured the dog would give her courage and company as she grew into the adventurer she wanted to be. There was more to adventure than swinging an ax. Amina was fearful, but she could overcome it. Perhaps a companion would giver her grit when she'd be afraid.

And, truth be told, that dog was darn cute.

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When they finally reached Morthal, the road was dark and winding behind them. Meeko proved to be a good companion, although he tended to bark at anything that moved, including, but not limited to, dangerous spiders and butterflies. Very useful when you needed to be alerted of danger, not quite so when you were just strolling about.

"There goes any attempt at stealth you might have, cousin dear."

Amina rubbed Meeko's ears. "A good trade-off if you ask me. Sneaking is for thieves and knaves."

"Sneaking is for people who want to stay alive in dangerous situations. Truth be told I'm not good at it either. I prefer to hack and slash my way through."

She eyed his choice of weaponry. "Aye, that much is obvious."

They made their way into the town. From a distance, its torches and lights seemed like floating wisps in the wind. Everything there seemed unbearably heavy with the weight of fog and humidity. The whole settlement was drowning in deathbell and nirnroot, the ringing of the latter only enhancing the eerie overall appearance of the settlement itself. The houses looked dejected and desolate, even if they were clustered around the edges of the marsh, connected by wooden bridges and pass ways. Twisted trees with heavy branches shaded everything.

The whole place swam in mist and shade, and Amina had to suppress a shiver. She did make sure, however, to fill her alchemist's satchel with many deathbells and lichen, to be used later.

"This place frightens me to the core." Amina whispered, wary of the odd looks the guards were giving them.

"Aye, me as well. Small town, large overbearing presence to it. Be wary, people here mistrust outsiders."

"Let's head to the inn to rest…if this place has any."

Erik nodded slowly. They made their way through murky water and on damp wooden pass ways, until Amina stopped suddenly.

"Oh, what happened?"

Erik turned to look where she was pointing. She was looking at a shell of a house, burn to a crips and collapsed onto itself. The only thing standing was the stonework fireplace.

Amina walked towards it, as if enthralled. Her eyes turned glassy, and her mouth half-way parted. Erik could only look at her as she made her way towards the house with long steps. Meeko growled lowly and whined, settling at Erik's feet.

Her head was swimming. She knew she only saw the house from afar, and then everything turned to feel blurry. She felt like the fog had turned to cloud and was gripping at the fabric of her clothes and armour. She didn't feel entirely like herself. Her whole body felt heavy, her limbs like logs.

She felt a voice make light through the fog in her head. It was piercing and melodic, a woman's voice.

"Mortal, prove yourself worthy to be my Champion. I have chosen you to cleanse my temple, but for now, other foul undead require your material intervention on my behalf. Prove yourself worthy by this task, and after cleansing my temple, and I shall grant you my boon."

"Do I really have a choice?" Amina's voice asked in her head.

If voices could smirk, then this one was positively doing it. "No. Now go forth, Champion, banish the undead in my name."

Amina found herself in front of the burned house, with Erik a few feet behind her, looking at her queer. She sighed. Just her luck, to be contacted by ethereal beings just as she started adventuring. And on a quest against the undead, too! She trembled like a leaf in the wind. However, no matter how frightened, you do not go against beings that have the power to speak to you in your head. It was logical.

She entered what was left of the house. A deep breath. Then another. She could do this. She'd taken on a few living bandits, what harm could some decrepit corpses do to her?

However, it wasn't a decrepit corpse that was waiting for her in that shell of a house.

It was the ghost of a little girl, playing in the ashes.

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Author's note: Thanks for reading! I love Meeko, he's been my super pal through this playthrough. I cheated and resurrected him via console more than i should have.

As always, Skyrim and all things in it are not mine. I would probably be ritcher than Maven Black-Briar if they were.


	3. S'all fun and games until someone dies

Sorry for the lateness! Awful of me to not upload anything in a while, but I had good reasons, I promise! I've had an awful month-long flu that just wouldn't quit...got me in trouble at work, at school...blah!

I made this chapter extra long to make up for it!

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Her name was Helgi, and she had been, once, someone's daughter. She had been born and raised in Morthal, and her house had flanked the cemetery, but she was never afraid of death or of the dark. Her best friend had been Joric. They had shared his visions and her dreams at dusk, every day. Her bear doll was lost in the fire and she was still looking for it. Amina didn't have the heart to tell her she had found its arm next to the rest of it, charred save for the buttons that were its eyes.

If that is what the voice in her head told Amina to smite, well…she couldn't get it in her to want to kill this little girl. How could one kill a restless ghost anyway? One that was a child, no less? One could be ruthless against the mythical draugr in the Nord tombs, or perhaps against the skeletons necromancers animated, but this? Save for the translucency she possessed, this little girl looked very much alive.

Amina felt like crying. A little life was in front of her, snuffed by flames before it could truly begin. At first, Helgi had wanted to play Hide and Seek, but then changed her mind as she saw her father in the distance, hand in hand with a woman she had called Alva. Helgi's expression hardened, her innocent face turning rageful, inhuman in her gostly transparence. ". I tried calling for him every time, and he heard me, I know he did! He never answered…and I…I feel so lonely. I just want to go home. ". Then her translucent eyes turned back to Amina. If she were alive, they would have been filled to the brim with tears. In that moment, she looked very much like a scared little girl, not a ghost.

Of course, Erik and Meeko didn't really think so. Erik was green and held a hand to Amina's small of the back, protectively. His hand was poised on his sword, as if it were any good. Meeko was laying at their feet, his ears back and tail out of site, his whole fur on end. Amina was petting him to calm him down as Helgi continued her story.

The flames had licked first at the wood from the stairs. They came from above, from the common room many Nord houses had, then made their way down the stairs. Her mother screamed, took a blanket and start pounding at the flames. Then, her whole being was on fire, as if by some supernatural force. The last thing Helgi saw of her mother were her terrified eyes as she made her way through the flames towards the upstairs, screaming, batting at the flames, thrashing her whole body to get them off her, yelling: "Hroggar! Hroggar!" over and over again, in a voice that wasn't hers.

Helgi could not comprehend, at the time, what was happening. She saw her mother's body collapse in a heap of flames. She retreated to a corner of the room, trapped like a rat. The first thing she felt was the choking, her lungs full of soot and smoke. Her eyes stung, she could barely breathe, she could only scream, as her mother had. The flames took her.

She remembers little of the flames, lot of the screams for a father that never came to give help, even though she knew he had been upstairs while her mother and her were in the basement. Had he gone outside, not noticed the fire?

"Why can't you…you know, move on, where ghosts usually go?"

"I can't. She won't let me."

"Who won't let you?"

The girl smiled innocently. "Let's play Hide and Seek!"

Erik's mouth went agape. Amina froze. The little ghost girl ran off into the night, into the bushes and into the marsh behind her house.

Erik was the first to follow, and then Amina with Meeko at her heels.

Truthfully, it wasn't so much a game of Hide and Seek as it was a game of chase. Ghost or not, Helgi was limited to the speed she had in life, and thankfully, Erik and Amina had both longer legs than her. Amina still lagged behind due to her short stature, but Erik reached the child quickly...only to find himself in the middle of the cemetery, almost toppled over in a grave hole over a coffin: Helgi's coffin.

Something pounced on him and snarled in his ear. He could smell the creature's fetid breath, its claws digging in his arms, teeth snapping at his neck as he was struggling in its gasp. By the gods, it felt almost human! But it was too dark too see anything, so he could only hear animalistic sounds of hunger and predatory intent. The dim light cast from his discarded lantern didn't help at all to discern what the figure was.

A sickening crunch. Wetness. Blood flowed over his face, into his hair, choking him and getting into his clothes. Wide-eyed he looked at the creature's head rolling over toward the light.

Amina pulled him up with the hand that wasn't holding her sword. She was panting, white in the face, her eye whites showing like a mad man's.

"What took you so long? I almost got eaten." said Erik, trying to lighten the mood and make Amina forget that she had just swung a sword in the dark, hoping not to miss.

"Well if you wouldn't have run so far ahead, maybe you wouldn't be bathing in a pool of blood right now, Erik."

He shrugged. "As long as it's not mine. What was that, anyway?"

They both turned towards the head of the creature.

"By Talos, it's a woman!"

"It's a vampire!" Erik spat. "No wonder that filthy creature was clawing at my neck!"

Amina started to dry-heave. Erik started rubbing circles on her back while she was bent over, trying not to vomit. Vampires?! That was entirely too much!

"I thought they were legends!"

"…I've told you I've encountered them. Several times, in fact."

"I thought you were trying to frighten me!"

Erik shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Oh, you sweet, sweet summer child."

Amina glared, and straightened up. "Ok, so what now?"

"We go to the Jarl, I guess. Tell her the whole thing."

"What if she doesn't believe us?"

At this, Erik pulled up the head of the vampire, holding it like a sack, by the hair. Drops of blood dripped from its neck.

"That's disgusting."

"But highly effective!"

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It was a good thing that Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone wasn't one to fuss over petty things like a trail of blood over her carpets. Nonetheless, she raised an eyebrow when her doors were slammed by two travelers holding the severed head of someone long thought dead.

"My, my. Well, this has occurred a bit faster than how I saw it."

Amina and Erik looked at each other, then back at her. The Jarl's entourage, ready to pounce, looked equally as confused. Why wasn't the Jarl ordering the capture of two people who seemed like they had killed a law-abiding citizen? Was it one of her visions?

Amina decided to speak up and explain things. The little colour the Jarl had in her face paled away to nothing.

"Call Thonnir. Quickly!" she said to one of the guards, who sprinted out into the night, leaving the Longhouses' doors wide open. Fog and cold started to sweep into the longhouse, enveloping them all into an ominous embrace. Amina's skin erupted into goosebumps. A disembodied voice, a ghost, and now vampires? What had she done to anger the gods so?

Thonnir's presence was marked by a long strangled scream. As soon as the man saw the severed head, he lunged at Erik, sobbing and throwing punches at the same time. The guards caught him, but he kept struggling, crying and screaming "Laelette! Laelette!". The guards managed to subdued him and bent him over, holding him by his forearms and the scruff of his neck. His body was trembling with sobs, his face botched red and full of tears. He was still screaming his throat raw even on his knees, pleading to the gods and damning Erik in the same breath.

The Jarl managed to explain the situation to him, and he was overcame with sobs once more. "I thought she had joined the Stormcloaks! Oh, my poor Laelette!"

Amina went over to him, and put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing circles on his back. "We'll avenger her, sir. We'll find out who did this and avenger your wife's memory. It will all be alright, stop crying. She wouldn't want you to cry, right?"

Thonnir shook his head. "You're right. She wouldn't want to see me like this." He straightened up, and Amina offered him a small smile, hand still on his shoulder, even though the height difference made it quite awkward. Meeko started wagging his tail and pushing at his feet, nipping at his trousers. The man put a hand on the dog's head, petting him.

Erik sighed. Just like Amina, to not want to get in danger one moment and then offering to get themselves in danger to avenge a stranger's memory.

"Sir, did anything strange occur to Laelette before she disappeared?"

"She was spending more and more time with Alva, even though she despised her….Ye gods! You think Alva is a vampire?

"It's a possibility we can't ignore…" Erik chimed in.

"No! You're wrong! You must be wrong...I refuse to believe we'd have such a creature in our midst! Maybe Laelette found her fate out in the marshes!"

Jarl Ravencrone and Gunmar, her housecarl, exchanged a look. It was not surprising that Thonnir wouldn't consider that option.

It's easier for man to attributed another man's horrors to nature, easier to assume chance rather than premeditated evil. We all like to convince ourselves the world is good so we don't fear our every steps. Unfortunately for our heroes, evil in the world comes and goes like the tides, periodically, daily, and you should expect it.

"We'll go investigate Alva's house. We'll get to the bottom of this, Jarl, we promise."

The Jarl nodded. "Very well. Should you prove guilt or innocence, I'll reward you."

"There's no nee-" Amina's protests were cut off by Erik putting a hand over her mouth. "Thank you, Jarl, you are very generous. We'll make it worth your while.". Amina glared at him as he released her.

Sunrays peeked through the still open doors, and the fog was slowly lifting as our young adventurers made their way out of the longhouse.

"Another rule of the road: when someone offers you money, especially a Jarl, always take it. Honour doesn't keep you fed."

Amina huffed.

They made their way into Alva's house as sneakily as a pair of armour-clad aventurers could. That is, they clanked their way down the pier and knocked on the door. When Hroggar answered, Erik pushed him back into the house, and Amina shut the door behind them.

"Listen up, little man," Erik snarled "Time for some answers, don't you think?"

Hroggar's eyes widened, his whole body tensing. He looked like an animal trapped in a corner. He lunged at Erik, but the other man was too fast, and ended up subduing him, throwing him down on the floor, a sword tip pointed at his throat. "Knock him out!". And Amina did.

With Hroggar sleeping peacefully, albeit unvoluntarily, in the bare main room, Amina and Erik made their way down to the basement. Meeko was left upstairs to do guard duty in case one of the hold's guards got too curious for their own good.

"Oh gods, it reeks here" she said, holding her nose. The stairway to the basement was damp and slick with blood, as dark as night. The basement was bare save for some crates…and a coffin.

"Shit." They said at the same time. The coffin quaked, and its lid was pushed back to reveal Alva, in all her beautiful deadly glory.

Amina shrieked. "I'm not ready for this!"

"Make yourself ready!" Erik yelled, as Alva lunged at him, snarling. He ducked and tripped her, snagging himself away from the grasp of her hand on his ankles. She lifted her legs and kicked at him, sending him sprawling on top of some crates. He moaned in pain. Fighting in a small room was very different than fighting in the wild, and truth be told, he didn't have much experience in it. Which explained why now he was cradled by crates like a mother's embrace, and out cold.

Alva got back to her feet and faced Amina. The girl was sweating profusely, her hands trembling on her weapon as she was backing away from the vampire, one step at a time. "Stay back!"

Alva chuckled, looking at her nails. "Or else what, little girl? You're going to scare yourself to death? Not much use without your companion over there, aren't you?"

"I said stay back, you filthy creature!" Amina was practically sobbing by now. Bears and sabercats? No big deal. Bandits? Can do, barely. Vampires? Now that's a whole other story Amina never, ever wanted to get into.

"Aw, how cute. Widdle adventurer all snot-nosed and red-eyed. You humans are so cute. Tears always make the flesh taste tender."

The vampire lunged at Amina, who barely managed to duck out of the way. "Shit!" Her scimitar felt cold and alien in her hands as she tried running away towards Erik. Alva jumped over the coffin and in front of her. "Nu-huh, no waking up your friend there, love. Wouldn't want to spoil our game, now would we?"

Amina sobbed. "Get away from me!"

Alva smirked. "Make me, little bitch."

Amina screamed, and attacked. The vampire ducked the first few blows, but soon enough Amina's fear turned into pure adrenaline, and she became more and more wild and unpredictable in her attacks. She was so afraid she didn't care what she hit, throwing herself fully in every attack, sword and body becoming one. She didn't care if she managed to body-slam or cut Alva to pieces, as long as she could get herself and Erik away from her. She had to get out, she had to get Erik to safety, she had to get out, she had to, she had to, she had t-

Her scimitar cut through Alva's throat like a knife though butter. Her face felt warm from the blood that rained on her from the vampire's severed jugular. Amina collapsed in a sobbing heap on the floor, cradling herself.

A groan from the crate pile was the only signal that Erik woke up. He felt dizzy, like he just got thrown off the Throat of The World and landed in the middle of nowhere. Gods, but his head pounded. He jolted up when he remembered where he was, earning himself 3 seconds of his vision blacking out.

Amina was in a pool of blood, the vampire's body somewhere next to her. Erik gasped, and made her way towards the girl, hugging her while she sobbed. "It's okay, you killed it, it's okay, shh, you're safe now…". He stroked her hair gently. "I'm going to find some clues regarding the vampire, okay? You stay right here, I'll be right back."

Amina sniffled, dried her tears and wiped her snot with her sleeves, and stood up.

"No, no, I'll be fine...let's look together."

Erik looked her over. "Are you sure?". She nodded.

"I need to get used to this kind of stuff if I want to be part of the companions, right?" she said, offering him a watery smile.

They found a journal describing Alva's vampiric activities…and activities of another sort. Erik felt dirty only touching it. "What does it say?" Amina asked.

"You're too young to read this sort of filth. For the Jarl's eyes only."

She snatched it from his hand, read a few pages…"I don't know if I should want to throw up or be aroused."

"Yeah, this thing is a veritable joyride from murder to the vampire version of that argonian maid book."

"What's that?"

Erik's face flushed. "Nothing of importance. Let's get back to the Jarl."

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Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone was both disgusted and grieved at what happened in her hold. Thus, our heroes had a new mission: kill the vampire Movarth, and restore peace to the land. As they made their way through the doors to meet up with the furious mob waiting outside to help, Amina stopped dead in her tracks.

Erik made sure to pretend it was all intentional by putting his arms around her and pretending to talk to her about something or the other.

She felt like fog was enveloping her once more. Her heart made way to the pit of her stomach, and settled there in a ball. Her eyes glossed over.

"Oh, not again." Erik said. Meeko whined.

Amina found herself in conversation with the disembodied voice again.

"My, my, champion, you're getting braver by the day. Facing a ghost story, then vampires? You're going to become a fine slayer of the undead by the time you get to my temple, I dare say. Then again, I have perfect tastes in Champions, which couldn't be said for the rest of my peers…but I digress."

"Why me? And who are you? I thought you wanted me to kill the ghost, but…"

"Ah, but who better to cleanse than undead than someone who fears them the most? The ghost was just a means to an end."

"What end?"

"Getting my Beacon out of the hands of this Morvarth, a foul vampire trotting through this parts, spreading his foul filth all though Morthal with impertinence."

"Beacon?"

"I am Meridia, Prince of Life and Lady of Infinite Energies…I hope you do know who I am?" Amina nodded. "In the other eras, only mentioning the Beacon would have elicited recognition... So much for the constancy of mortals, their crafts and their hearts. If they love me not, how can my love reach them? No matter. Your goal is to get my Beacon to my temple, and cleanse it. It is time for my splendor to return to Skyrim, but how can mortals worship me if there is nowhere to do so?"

"What happened to your temple? Undead invasion?"

"Awfully perceptive. Yes. The Necromancer Malkoran defiles my shrine with vile corruptions, trapping lost souls left in the wake of this war to do his bidding. Worse still, he uses the power stored within my own token to fuel his foul deeds. I need him and his filth purged from my temple so it may shine again with my light and the love of mortals. Now go, enforce my will!"

Amina sighed as her senses were returned to her.

"It seems this whole champion…thing…wasn't a fluke of the imagination."

Erik sighed. "How could you have found such trouble so fast? Daedra are serious business!"

"Yeah well…apparently we need to find some vampire lair which is nearby, get her…Beacon?...and then kill some necromancer who is resurrecting the dead right in her temple."

"Right in her temple? That guy's just asking for trouble."

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Thanks for reading! Reviews and critiques are very welcome and will be rewarded with Sweetrolls :D


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